Flood Victims' Anger Over 'Lack Of Action'

Communities have expressed their "anger and frustration" at the perceived lack of action from officials to prevent flooding in high-risk areas.

Some 31,000 acres of the Somerset Levels, which run south from the Mendip Hills to the Blackdown Hills, have been under water for almost a month.

Flood waters surrounding the village of Muchelney in Somerset

Some people are still without water in their homes and are facing another week of having to turn to family and friends so they can bathe and wash their clothes.

One of the worst-affected areas is Northmoor Green in the county, where water is being pumped to help clear the saturated ground at a rate of one million tons a day into the River Parrett, at a cost of more than £100,000 a week.

Resident Julian Taylor said people felt marooned and forgotten about.

He told Sky News: "I can understand how people feel frustrated and angry over the lack of action over the last 12 months."

Resident Julian Taylor says people are 'angry and frustrated'

He said most of the rage was directed at "politicians" who he said were failing to provide enough funds for Environment Agency staff "to do their job".

Sky's Isabel Webster, at the scene, said locals' main complaint was that the waterway had not been dredged.

"Some 40% of it is made up of silt and they are concerned it isn't running at capacity," she said.

Retired major Mark Corthine was forced to cut short a holiday in Australia when neighbours called to tell him his farmhouse was flooded.

Mr Corthine, who lives at Walnut Tree Farm, Fordgate, near Bridgwater, said: "I was out of my house four months last year because of the floods and I'm out again now.

A temporary pontoon being used near to the village of Langport in Somerset

"It's happened twice in two years and I spent £31,000 on improvements and we were promised it wouldn't happen again but it has.

"The damage isn't as bad this time as I tiled the ground floor but I'm still surrounded by water and the sewage is everywhere.

"The dryers are on and if I'm lucky I should be able to move back in sometime the end of March. 

"I can't live in my house at all. There are lots of people in a similar situation. It's never flooded here in 100 years and now it happens twice in as many years.

"What we need is some joined-up thinking. Three miles of the river needs to be dredged at a cost of £2.8m. Farmers would love to have the silt that's brought up for their land."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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